PARAMORE, Emo band
Paramore (IPA: /ˈpεrəmɔɜr/) is an American rock band that formed in Franklin, Tennessee in 2004 consisting of Hayley Williams (lead vocals/keyboard), Josh Farro (lead guitar/backing vocals), Taylor York (rhythm guitar), Jeremy Davis (bass guitar), and Zac Farro (drums). The group released their debut album All We Know Is Falling in 2005, and their second album Riot! in 2007, which was certified platinum in the US and gold in the UK and Ireland.
Musical style and influences
The majority of Paramore’s recordings come from collaborations between lead vocalist Hayley Williams and lead guitarist Josh Farro — Farro first writes the music, afterwards taking it to Williams for a melody and lyrics, and from that point the song worked out between the two. Once the foundation is laid out, the remaining band members help to work on sound and arrangement. The duo’s songwriting has had its critics, being called “contrastly cliched and weak at points”,[45] while others have said the songs are “ridiculously catchy” and “sing-a-long worthy.”
Joshua Martin had written after an interview with Williams, “The band isn’t just a short pop-punk girl with red hair and a spunky attitude. Their music is like them, it’s aged differently. It’s sped up, and slowed down. It’s emo without being whiney, or bratty. Almost a very literal anti-Avril Lavigne.” Alternative Press magazine had commented that the band was “young sounding”, while consistently being “honest.” Paramore’s first album All We Know is Falling had an arguably more “formulaic pop-punk” sound that was “delivered particularly well” and the combination of the two had created a “refined rock infused pop/punk album.” The band’s second release, Riot! was said to explore a ‘diverse range of styles,” however, not straying far from “their signature sound.”
Alternative Press and various other reviewers have noted that the band’s stage performances have helped boost them to larger fame. Alternative Press states that Williams “has more charisma than singers twice her age, and her band aren’t far behind in their chops, either.” Singer-songwriter John Mayer had praised Williams’ voice in a blog in October 2007, calling her “The great orange hope”; “orange” in reference to her hair color. Due to the female fronted aspect of the band, Paramore has gained comparisons to Kelly Clarkson and the afore mentioned Avril Lavigne, to which one reviewer said was “sorely unfounded.” Reviewer Jonathan Bradley noted that “Paramore attacks its music with infectious enthusiasm,” however, he also explained that “there isn’t a whole lot of difference between Riot! and the better songs from Kelly Clarkson or Avril Lavigne.” A reviewer at NME had likened Paramore’s sound to that of “No Doubt (stripped of all the ska bollocks)” and “Kelly Clarkson’s wildest dreams.” Williams has gone on to comment about the female aspect of the band saying that Paramore is not “this girl-fronted band” and it makes “music for people to enjoy music, not so people can talk about my sexuality.”
Paramore has expressed appreciation for Blink-182, Jimmy Eat World, Chicago, Sunny Day Real Estate, Death Cab for Cutie, Fall Out Boy and Failure; Williams citing her personal influences as Robert Smith of The Cure and Etta James.[57] Williams explained that bands such as U2, “who are massive, and do whatever they want, write whatever they want and they stand for something,” Jimmy Eat World, “who I don’t think ever disappoint their fans,” and No Doubt, who “have done amazing things,” act as a pattern for the path in which Paramore would like to take their career.
In an interview with the BBC, Josh Farro stated “Our faith is very important to us. It’s obviously going to come out in our music because if someone believes something then their worldview is going to come out in anything they do. But we’re not out here to preach to kids, we’re out here because we love music.”
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